Following a Dream (Despite the Mom Guilt)

Behind The Scenes Look

In This Post

This week’s post is much more personal than usual. I’ve had many requests to get more personal, so here it is in the raw form. We’ll return to the regular type of tips next week.

I am embarking on a year-long coaching school starting today and I wanted to give you a glimpse behind-the-scenes.

This post focuses on:

What I’m doing to pursue my goal

You’ve inspired me to take a huge next step

I can’t believe I decided to do this…..crazy mom guilt is setting in

Behind the scenes of going all in

Here’s what I’m doing

I absolutely LOVE coaching other working moms who are struggling to find and implement their own ideal. I’ve been coaching officially for this last year, on top of the 20 years I’ve been managing, mentoring and coaching 100’s of employees.

I have 2 certifications and my clients are telling me they love their results.

But, I want to grow and improve and take my skills to the next level.

So, I’m embarking on a year-long coaching program working with a certified master coach and a tribe of other like-minded coaches. It’s an intense program filled with practicums, weekly assignments, and tests.

It’s going to be crazy challenging and I can’t wait!

I’m missing 2 of 3 birthdays while I’m here and also the first day of preschool. I’m gone for a total of 8 days. Crazy mom guilt has set in, but I know it will be worth it.

The Crushing Motherhood tribe has inspired me to take a huge next step

So let me give you a little of the back story, and how you (the Crushing Motherhood tribe) have inspired this next step.

I’ve been growing Crushing Motherhood over the past year (she turns 1 on October 1st,, I can’t believe it!) and it’s been amazing to meet so many other ambitious moms who are trying to do it all. The themes I hear are –

I’m so busy that I feel like my kids are growing up without me.

I have this goal or dream but I can’t imagine pursuing it right now, when my family relies on me for stability (income and benefits especially)

I used to love my job and was so focused on my career, but I really just want to be picking up my kids from school and doing what I want to do with my time.

I feel like I’m failing at everything.

Can you relate to any of these?

I definitely can.

There is no one solution or magic bullet to “fixing” the challenges so many of us face. Yet, at the same time, these conversations are so inspiring.

I’ve seen so much relief in other moms when the words are said out loud and we start to work through the challenges one-by-one. I’ve also witnessed so many ah-ha moments when other moms realize that they are accomplishing more than they thought, and if they shift a few things (mostly thought processes ), they can start to climb out of the overwhelm.

In these conversations, I hear so frequently that most of you also want more and are waiting for your chance to make it happen for yourself.

For some, that chance might be just around the corner.

For others, they might wait awhile but I know they’ll never give up on it. These dreams are too important.

All of these conversations and coaching calls have inspired me to take a huge next step.

I can’t believe I decided to do this….

For me, I’m taking the chance now.

I’ve always been someone who follows the rules and what’s expected of me. I got good grades, made the honor roll, brought home awards to make myself and my family proud, landed a great job, and built a solid career filled with promotions and accolades.

But then, we had kids and everything changed. My ideas for our lifestyle and my imagination for what’s possible started to dramatically shift.

I wanted to feel a sense of achievement in my life, but it didn’t need to come from a corporate title anymore. I wanted to shift my priorities 180 degrees, and spend as much time with my kids as possible while having work as a secondary focus. I still wanted the mental stimulation, the adult interaction, and the compensation. But, I didn’t need the titles, the career ladder, or the responsibility anymore.

And this has all led me to this point. I’m writing this from the airport, about 15 minutes before boarding a plane to 8 days away from my family and part-time job. I am ready to take Crushing Motherhood to the next level, to help as many other moms as I can through my coaching practice.

It just happens to be my middle son’s birthday and my older son’s birthday is tomorrow. I’m missing their big birthdays for this trip. I’m missing the first day of preschool for the younger two. Crazy mom guilt is pulling at me right now, but I know this is the right choice.

This is my time to go all in.

I’m scared

And, to top all of this off, I told my part-time consulting client that I am planning to wind down in the next 6 months. That conversation felt amazing for about 3 minutes and then scared the crap out of me.

I’ve shut off the safety net and the fallback plan. All my eggs are in the Crushing Motherhood basket and that’s equally exhilarating and scary as $(!%!

I’ll be honest, I’m super nervous about this path:

What if I’m not good at this?

What if I can’t keep up with the curriculum?

What if I don’t pass the tests?

What if I don’t bond with the other coaches?

What if no one wants my help?

Why am I not as good as that person?

Why isn’t my practice growing as quickly as that other person?

I’m doing it anyway

I’m setting the fears aside (and the mom guilt), and going for it. I’m going all in with the program and I’m going to see what happens.

I’m going to push myself but I’m not going to pressure myself. By that, I mean that I’m not going to beat myself up or compare myself to others. This is a competition with myself.

I’m going to appreciate the journey and all that comes with it.

I know there will be ups and downs I know there will be good days and bad days.

I know there will be some honest feedback that might be difficult to hear.

But, I also know I will succeed eventually.

I hope you’ll join me on this journey

I will keep you updated via the Mother Crusher Guide, and I’ll do my best to keep it real! The successes and the tears. If you’re not on the Mother Crusher Guide list yet, here’s the page where you can ask to be included. It comes out every Friday and includes resources and inspiration for managing working mom life.

I feel like so much is converging right now and I’m exactly where I need to be at this moment.

Recap

In this post, I shared

One of my goals (consistently improving myself as a coach) and how I’m committing to it

How this relates to so many of the stories I hear from other moms

Why I have mom guilt over this decision

Why I’m scared to do this

Why I’m doing it anyway

If you’d like more tips, support, and behind-the-scenes stories, subscribe to free weekly Mother Crusher Guide by clicking this link.

This is a behind-the-scenes look into Crushing Motherhood, thanks for joining in!

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Did You Know?

I’m a success coach for working moms. I work with other moms to create and execute the mindset, strategies and routines that are required get out of survival mode and achieve your goals, both personally and professionally.

Think of it as a re-set for ambitious moms who want to maximize what they do, who they are, and all they impact to make the most out of life.

I’ll coach you through building the plan and identifying your next steps. Then, we’ll talk for a few minutes at the end about what I do and if we might be good working together. I’m not a salesperson so don’t expect a sales call. I only accept clients who are a good fit.

This is time focused on you and your goals, and how to get to the next level.